Jeffrey J. Bloom

Jeffrey J. Bloom

China may have more tech-savvy consumers, better data access and unlimited tech funding, but the nation, which has the second largest AI ecosystem after the U.S., is taking on numerous efforts to step up its AI presence.

China has its sights on becoming the next AI superpower, by improving its national security and increasing its economic presence among other global tech leaders. Despite these goals, a recent LinkedIn survey indicated that China only had 50,000 people working in AI, while the U.S. has 850,000.To remedy this outlook, China, at the government and private sector level, is fronting large amounts of money to lure Chinese citizens, including those that traveled overseas to study and work, back to China to help build it’s AI sector.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

“We are in the midst of an AI security revolution,” says Dimitrios Pavlakis, of ABI Research. “This will drive machine learning (ML) solutions to soon emerge as the new norm beyond SIEM & ultimately displace a large portion of traditional AV, heuristics & signature-based systems within the next 5 years.”

ML “is in its infancy & not well understood,” said Oltsik, or what Kevin Walker of Juniper Networks' calls generation 1.5 from a security perspective. There's very good examples out there using algorithms able to Crunch massive amounts of data to return not so much artifacts but actual indicators. "That's what we're looking for. It's a matured discipline, but it's still maturing within security.”

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3233191/security/automating-threat-detection-the-importance-of-machine-learning.html

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Researchers discovered that Android, Linux, Apple, Windows, OpenBSD, MediaTek, Linksys, & others, are all affected by the KRACK attacks.

It should be noted that the KRACK attack does not help attackers recover the targeted WiFi's password; instead, it allows them to decrypt WiFi users' data without cracking or knowing the actual password.

So merely changing your Wi-Fi network password does not prevent (or mitigate) KRACK attack.
https://youtu.be/Oh4WURZoR98

Article: https://thehackernews.com/2017/10/wpa2-krack-wifi-hacking.html?m=1

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Researchers are looking to biological systems for inspiration in building Truly ‘smart’ computers. Experiments with new material (quantum perovskite) show potential for future bio-inspired computing. The basis is habituation, which is regarded as one of the primary universal learning mechanisms.

What's interesting about quantum perovskite is that it shows an adaptive response (the potential for a form of ‘habituation’). Occurring when protons are continually inserted & removed, mimicking the brain’s desensitization to a recurring stimulus.

As a proton is added or removed, the material’s atomic structure expands or contracts significantly, accommodating protons into a process called "lattice breathing." Here the perovskite’s behavior alters so that the lattice breathing is reduced, causing the electronic properties to evolve & the material to resist its electrical current, enabling the perovskite to be effectively programmed, much like a computer. Overall the performance of perovskite would far exceed silicon.

Article: http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/building-smarter-computers-based-on-biology/article/505117

Jeffrey J. Bloom

What could possibly go wrong? Organizations are building more apps, all with increasing complexity. Over the next 12-18 months, 50% will develop more apps with IoT components, 58% indicated they'll develop more apps with AI & 62% will increase apps with machine/deep learning.

However, 42% believe they're expected to design, develop & test apps in an “unrealistic amount of time”, with 36% admitting they're not given enough time to ensure apps are properly tested before deployment.

56% agree outdated techniques & tools “hold them back” from meeting the demands of the digital world & 75% agreed that with better tools, deployed apps would have a greater impact on business.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogeraitken/2017/10/15/app-gap-crisis-big-data-visionary-urges-test-automation-rethink-in-iot-age/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

AWS & Microsoft launched Gluon, an open source interface to simplify creating neural networks without sacrificing speed & performance. Also, integration of training models will facilitate development, quality assurance & reuse.

They hope an "open AI ecosystem,"--with widely available developer tools, across multiple platforms & languages--will grow AI accessibility & apps. As companies increasingly move to the cloud, real-time AI & deep learning (DL) capabilities are in high demand.

Although, they're not the first to open-up AI & DL for more IT specialists. Andrew Ng launched an online DL course with the goal of training millions of new AI experts. With a well document & widespread shortage of tech talent, ground up initiatives & friendlier platforms for development will be key to AI's expansion.

http://www.ciodive.com/news/aws-microsoft-work-together-for-open-ai-ecosystem/507227/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

“NLP breaks down large bodies of text to a granular level. It relies on the mechanics of language to understand the context of each word within every sentence & article.” The tech analyzes text & media clips accurately as it's able to recognize when names of people, places & events are being referred to by synonyms or pronouns. The engine is also able to recognize slang & learn new forms of words as it processes, allowing it to evolve as the use of language changes.

“The result is 100% accurate sentiment analysis on any form of media clip or coverage, regardless of the amount of clips,” says Dabbs.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

When you hear “AI apps”, don't think self-aware machines. Instead, think purpose-built software capable of repeatedly & efficiently performing mundane day-to-day tasks.

Typically, this involves scanning & organizing "big data" to identify patterns & help make informed decisions. Increasingly, AI apps are able to suggest optimal business actions independently.

The increasing development & adoption of AI is due, in no small part, to a growing number of tech start-ups around the world. Scotland is firmly among them & this article lists many of them!
http://futurescot.com/artificial-intelligence-trend-changing-business-worldwide/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Intel's 17-qubit superconducting test chip lessens problems associated with the quantum computing chips. Namely their fragility & environmental sensitivity.

Intel's chip is manufactured to work reliably in higher temps & reduce RF interference between qubits. Moreover, the chip can send & receive 10-100 more signals than to wire-bonded chips. Its advanced design makes it scalable for quantum integrated circuits which are considerably bigger than conventional silicon chips.

Intel has delivered the superconducting test chip to their quantum research partner QuTech based in Netherlands. The two are working together on a quantum computing system.
https://youtu.be/qEvrPYmvBIY

Article: https://fossbytes.com/intel-17-qubit-superconducting-chip/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Prof. Wooldridge explained the difference between general & narrow AI (AGI & ASI respectively), there hasn’t been substantial progress in AGI--conscious self-aware machines--that may have conversations like we are having right now. And that’s a very nebulous goal.

All the real, substantial & exciting progress over the last decade has been in ANI, which is very narrowly focused on tasks like recognizing faces.

Considering advances in ML & sophisticated computer agents, the impact of AI on the labor market was raised. Prof. Hall stressed all big tech revolutions, overall, overtime, create more jobs. However, repetitive jobs will be replaced by some form of automation in the next 10-20 years.

Asked what should be done by the lawmakers to mitigate negative impacts by AI on the labour market, she replied:

“What we should be doing in social reform is taking the opportunity to see what are the jobs that need people to do them & value these jobs.”
https://financefeeds.com/academics-advise-uk-parliament-implementing-general-ai-law/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

“The state of the art right now is targeting two or three genes simultaneously and then looking at the effects, but we think that perhaps the gene sets that need to be modulated to address some of these diseases are actually broader than that,” says Lu, who is the senior author of the study.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

"Our quantum research has progressed to the point where our partner QuTech is simulating quantum algorithm workloads & Intel is fabricating qubit test chips on regular basis." Intel Researchers have designed a 17-qubit chip with architecture more reliable at higher temperatures & with reduced RF interference between qubits.

Intel is hopeful these advancements will pave the way towards true quantum computing. They've also demonstrated circuit blocks for an integrated cryogenic CMOS control system, spin qubit fabrication on a 300mm process & packaging for superconducting qubits!

While the process doesn't quite relate to the discrete GPUs we know today, it could be applied in numerous situations & only require a small number of qubits, entangled together in a super state, to offer incredible processing power.

Their collaboration spans the entire quantum system - or "stack" - from qubit devices to the hardware & software architecture required to control these devices as well as quantum applications.

This is an exciting time for quantum computing as advances continually increase efficiency & performance to handle certain problems. Although, they won't be replacing conventional computers--or other emerging technologies like neuromorphic computing--anytime soon. http://hitechbeacon.com/2017/10/11/intel-works-on-next-stage-of-quantum-computing.html

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Nvidia cut right to the chase with their new creation, simply naming it the Holodeck. Kudos for effective marketing & relaying what this tech entails; a creative tool for designers, architects & others to experience plans & schematics as seen in the real world.

What makes Nvidia's Holodeck interesting is the fact that it's AI-ready, meaning that in addition to wandering around their creations, designers can set a bunch of bots loose on a building in order to test how well it would deal with stress points & bottlenecks caused by heavy footfall. This kind of smart testing will hopefully mean that these kinds of creations will more comfortable & user-friendly.

Although it's not the experience Star Trek imagines, there's room to be excited, thanks to its AI functionality. Until architects are replaced by bots within the next few decades, this is good news for anyone who's ever had to navigate an office corridor that's just a little too narrow for the number of people milling about at the water cooler.
https://youtu.be/hUsP7fsjrdg

Article: https://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/16870-nvidia-holodeck-virtual-reality

Jeffrey J. Bloom

In 2015, Israeli government hackers found NSA tools in Kaspersky computers & notified the NSA, where alarmed officials immediately began hunting​ for the breach.

The firm's founder, Eugene Kaspersk, blogged last week that "We absolutely & aggressively detect & clean malware infections no matter the source," suggesting the NSA hacking tools could have been picked up as malware by his antivirus program.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-hacked-kaspersky-then-tipped-the-nsa-that-its-tools-had-been-breached-1761337

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Noted authors, journalists & experts explore society's role in getting serious about AI in our lifetimes. The first part discusses how AI & ML is ramping up the demand for computing cycles. The second part explores how AI demands will drive two shifts: processing on the edge & new processing architectures. The third part — due in a week — explores resulting investor & entrepreneur opportunities. Truly an eye opening series looking into the near future of AI.
https://shift.newco.co/what-the-future-of-artificial-intelligence-demands-ead6ee353f68

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Purism's Librem 5 security & privacy-focused smartphone has been successfully crowdfunded a few hours ago, when it surpassed its goal of $1.5 million, with 13 days left! Powered by Debian GNU/Linux & running Open Source apps, it features a 5" screen, is compatible with 2G, 3G, 4G, GSM, UMTS & LTE, & uses an i.MX 6 or i.MX 8 CPU w/ a separate baseband modem for all the protection you need from lots of government agencies. 😉
http://news.softpedia.com/news/security-and-privacy-focused-librem-5-linux-smartphone-successfully-crowdfunded-517967.shtml

Jeffrey J. Bloom

North Korea linked hackers recently targeted US power companies with spear-phishing emails, with no evidence of success. FireEye assess the targeting could be related to increasing tensions with North Korea & potentially foreshadow​ a disruptive cyber-attack.

"This is a signal that North Korea is a player in the cyber-intrusion field & it's growing in its ability to hurt us," said FBI's former chief of counter-intel.

"This activity represents initial targeting & if disruptions are even possible they would be very minor," cyber-security expert Robert Lee said, adding: "The North American power grid is considerably better off than people give it credit for. Our threats are growing & this activity comes at a concerning geopolitically tense time, but if the North Koreans tried to disrupt the electric grid, they would be disappointed with what they're able to achieve."

US intel officials rank North Korea behind Russia, China & Iran among adversaries able to inflict damage via cyber-attacks.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/experts-north-korea-targeted-u-s-electric-power-companies-n808996

Jeffrey J. Bloom

This partnership means Inbenta can be quickly layered on top of Bluleader client's existing enterprise platforms, aggregating data from existing knowledge management, website, document, social media, etc. This end-to-end, non-disruptive solution gives Inbenta's highly-intuitive chatbot the ability to understand what a customer is seeking. The result is intelligent, helpful responses that reduce support call time & increases revenue growth.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inbenta-and-bluleader-announce-partnership-to-enhance-the-customer-experience-with-ai-powered-technology-300533566.html

Jeffrey J. Bloom

At DEFCON's Voting Village, participants hacked 25 pieces of election equipment. One professor compromised a voting machine within 90 minutes & a Danish researcher remotely hacked an AVS WinVote system within minutes.

The report concludes it's incredibly easy to hack U.S. voting machines & systems aren't nearly as safe as portrayed by election officials. Many machines contain foreign tech that may be susceptible to tampering.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-voting-machines-are-susceptible-to-hacking-by-foreign-actors/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Converging big data, AI & BI on a single platform overcomes separate system challenges, dramatically improving agility & productivity, while creaing opportunities for new & enhanced applications.

Of the various means to accelerate performance, including application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) & field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), none beats the price & performance of graphics processing unit (GPUs) in AI applications. GPUs are capable of processing data up to 100 times faster than CPUs alone.

By bringing compute to the data, we avoid the tedious process of moving data through a pipeline spanning different domains & systems.
https://www.oreilly.com/ideas/converging-big-data-ai-and-business-intelligence

Jeffrey J. Bloom

"It's extraordinarily difficult to program nature to create self-organized patterns. This work, however, is a proof-of-principle that it's not impossible." said Professor You.

We could use biologically responsive materials to create living circuits. Or imagine keeping bacteria alive to make self-healing materials adaptable to environmental changes. Studies show it’s possible to program cellular DNA to develop computers & storage devices using genetic material. You’s team shows it’s possible to develop 3D materials using an entirely natural process. At the very least, this could become a more efficient & cost-effective fabrication method.
https://futurism.com/scientists-just-successfully-programmed-bacteria-using-synthetic-genes/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

In a statement from Oath, the new entity formed under Verizon combining AOL with the recently-acquired Yahoo, the service will be discontinued. "AIM tapped into new digital tech & ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed," said Michael Albers, VP of Communications Product at Oath. AIM was a staple of personal computers since first launching in 1997, serving as a precursor to popular apps like WhatsApp & Facebook Messenger. However, AIM couldn't make the seamless transition to mobile, where most users rely on IM services. Users will be able to manually download any images or files on AIM before the service shuts down. However, users won't be able to export or save their Buddy List, the group of contacts available on AIM.
https://youtu.be/NxtGRCJfbxk

Article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/10/06/rip-aim-aol-instant-messenger-dies-december/739076001/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Use your webcam to train an extremely basic AI program. Just hit the “train green/purple/orange” buttons & the machine will record whatever it can see through your webcam. Once it’s “learned” enough, it’ll output whatever you like (a GIF, sound effect or speech) when it sees the object or activity you trained it with.

All this is pretty fun, but it also demonstrates some fundamental aspects of ML. First, they learn by example. By looking, finding patterns, & remembering them. Second, they need lots of examples to learn from. And third, & most importantly, their understanding of the world is superficial & easily broken.
https://youtu.be/LFHZtAasFXE

Article: https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2017/10/9/16447006/google-teachable-machine-learning-ai-experiment

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Research shows humans interact with the world visually since we process images much faster than than any other forms. Augmented reality (AR), like its virtual-reality (VR) cousin, enables safe & efficient interaction with virtual objects within natural surroundings, versus VR that immerses us within synthetically created environments.

Combinations of AR & VR are described as mixed reality (MR). Many of us already use AR in our everyday lives, like using mobile devices for street-level navigation or to play AR games like Pokémon Go.
http://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded-revolution/streamline-your-augmented-reality-system-all-programmable-soc

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Zero-Days are seen as a major threat to global digital security. The German Foreign Office (GFO) & Federal Intelligence Service (BND) are at odds over their use.

A group of nations, including Germany, are supporting a UN initiative obligating signatories to publish vulnerabilities as soon as they're discovered. Further, they want to negotiate an international moratorium--similar to those for chemical or nuclear weapons--on government use of malware.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-10/09/c_136667683.htm

Jeffrey J. Bloom

100 years of Sci-fi movies & TV never came close to Modern Comms or smartphones. While it's easy to laugh at what sci-fi writers got wrong, they were still writing it for the time. “In 20, 30, 40 years’ time,” Adam Christopher said of current sci-fi, “it’s gonna be just as laughable.”

“Like the stupid holographic chalkboard Tom Cruise uses [in Minority Report]—no one wants that!” Nathan Hale joke-raged at the NYCC panel It’s Technical: Our Future with Robots & More. “Nothing in the Star Wars universe is usable—that’s all garbage stuff. R2-D2 wouldn’t be able to get into the [NYCC] convention center!”

We live in a unique era, constantly catching up to sci-fi tech, yet we haven’t hit the quintessential “flying cars” future, either. However, our advancements do better position us to anticipate future tech & their ethical dilemmas.

The panelists describe futuristic tech they would love to see & how tech changes our interactions with other people, from how we perceive them to how we communicate.

Article: https://www.tor.com/2017/10/09/artificial-intelligence-our-future-with-robots-annalee-newitz/

Jeffrey J. Bloom

In anticipation of DeepMind declaring StarCraft II its next target (after its AlphaGo success), AIIDE's long-running annual AI bot competition chose Starcraft as the competitive medium. Facebook's CherryPi finished sixth in a field of 28; the top three bots were all made by lone, hobbyist coders.

AIIDE is an academic conference on applying AI in entertainment. Facebook sponsored this year’s contest, paying for hardware used to run thousands of bot-on-bot games.
https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-quietly-enters-starcraft-war-for-ai-bots-and-loses

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Perhaps most impressive, is Google's ability to ostensibly fit supercomputer ML capabilities into such a small devices. But that’s Google in a nutshell! While I’m sure Apple, Amazon, Microsoft & others will be able to match some parts of what Google is doing here, I’m pretty sure no one can come close to compeating with the majority of Google's new products. That’s why it's all so impressive: Not any single announcement, but rather the weight, the scope, of it all.
https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/141037/deep-dive-ai-innovations-across-googles-2017-devices-lineup

Jeffrey J. Bloom

ability to interpret visual data, develop algorithms to write or interpret news, and collect and analyse increasing amounts of data - will allow journalists "to do richer, deeper reporting, fact checking and editing," the report said.

These technologies "will give journalists superpowers, if they have the training to use these emerging systems and tools," Webb writes.

Jeffrey J. Bloom

Systems like Robonomics AI holistic healthcare system could, over time, be able to predict illnesses. By combining new tech like AI, ML, software robotics (RPA), blockchain, big data & chatbots. “It would create greater transparency, lower costs & allow more people affordable personalised care.

Mixing AI with wearable tech is changing lives. Using a lightweight chest sensor--able to capture data every 30 seconds 24/7--would provide thousands of data points for an algorithm to predict what' happening next, highlighting irregularities requiring a doctor's attention, allowing increased doctor-patient facetime.

Holistic healthcare is just one example, as the company focuses on the ‘experiences’ & outcomes, aimed at helping clients disrupt industries. The very same approach would be used to re-imagine any industry, organisation, function or business process within an organisation.

“We might be able to build psychometric models, not just with the face, but with so many other actions.” Robotics & AI used together provide robust patient profiles, giving medical professionals a better understanding of who they are, what's happening to them & how they can be best served.

https://www.cio.com.au/article/628316/powerful-promise-ai/